Utilization of Biospecimens as a Biobank Output for Biomedical Research: A Report from the ISBER Annual Meeting 2024 Annual Meeting Roundtable Discussions

Despite widespread recognition of the need to increase sample utilization, the utilization rate of collected biospecimens for research is still low. In recent years, funders have shifted priorities towards supporting biobanks/collections with high utilization. Given the imperative to upscale sample utilization, a roundtable was held to discuss the considerations for maximizing and measuring the utilization of biospecimens and the output models that biobanks can employ to ensure greater impact and directly attributable advancements in medical science. The discussion revealed that most represented biobanks measure utilization of biospecimen but the measures vary broadly. Attendees agreed that the need to maximize utilization of collected biospecimens for research could be reinforced by a harmonized approach to increasing visibility, facilitating accessibility, and measuring subsequent outputs. The roundtable concluded with calls to action for the creation of biospecimen finding platforms and increased efforts towards the promotion of biobanking to the public. Copyright 2025, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.